Prepare for Oil Crisis

If reporter Morgan Josey Glover’s “Peak Prospects” series wasn’t enough of a wake-up call concerning America’s shaky future with oil, take a look at what happened when Hurricane Katrina affected energy supplies in North Carolina.

Similar disruptions could occur during “peak oil,” the time when global demand for petroleum products exceeds supply, creating higher prices, shortages and other instability. Many energy experts think we are already, or will soon be, at peak oil.


Katrina and North Carolina

Much of the Southeast may have been days away from paralysis because of Katrina’s effect on energy infrastructure. The 2005 hurricane shut down the power to the two pipelines from the Gulf Coast that supply most of the motor fuel to the region.

Here is a little of what happened in North Carolina from just a few days’ disruption:

l Gas stations in western North Carolina had trouble getting supplies. More than 60 percent of Buncombe County’s stations ran out of fuel.

l School athletic events were canceled, with many districts considering a four-day school week.

l Some local government vehicles began filling up at private service stations in order to preserve their supply.

l The state ferry system cut back on trips and the state DOT went to a shortened work week.

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